Man Utd get huge boost in Jarrad Branthwaite transfer pursuit after Sean Dyche admission

boss has conceded that the club would struggle to reject a substantial offer from for Jarrad Branthwaite in January. Despite uncertainty over whether Everton's financial situation will improve with the completion of the Friedkin Group takeover, Dyche acknowledges the club's precarious position.

The is yet to approve the deal to replace Farhad Moshiri, leaving Everton potentially exposed in the transfer market. United's interest in 22-year-old Branthwaite persists, even after their acquisition of Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt, having failed to secure the defender during the summer after baulking at Everton's £75million price tag.

With financial concerns of their own, it's doubtful United would now meet such a valuation, but Dyche did not dismiss the possibility of selling key players as rumours link Branthwaite once again to Old Trafford. He remarked: "I don't know any of their [new owners] plans, their thoughts or feelings about the club at this time or the finances. So that would clearly be a new decision.

"The current decision would be that it is likely that if somebody bid enough money for any player - by the way forget about Jarrad it is not relevant [just to mention] Jarrad - any player at this football club as you have seen over the last couple of windows."

Dyche has openly acknowledged the harsh reality of modern football transfers, admitting: "If someone offers enough money then they go. Alex Iwobi was like that a day or so before the deadline [in summer 2023]. I didn't want to lose Alex but they said 'Look, this is a deal we've got to do'."

He added@ "I said 'ok' and that's the way it goes so therefore I better mould it towards the next lot of players and how many I can get in and use. If the number's right the player gets sold if the number isn't right they don't."

Dyche has also come clean about his limited control over the club's star players, revealing: "It certainly won't be anything to do with me - bids for the players. Any bids for the players will not be anything to do with me. You know - or you can imagine - the financial situation here.

"So we have already had to sell players here I didn't want to sell. That is just part of the current business of the club."

The start of Everton's season was marred by injuries, with Branthwaite side-lined after sustaining a groin injury over the summer. The defender made his comeback in the team's victory against in September - their first win of the campaign - yet succumbed to a thigh injury during training soon after.

While Branthwaite has resumed his place on the Toffees' bench for recent fixtures, Dyche has been conservative in deploying him, favouring the tried-and-tested pairing of Michael Keane and James Tarkowski. Nonetheless, the Everton coach insists he is overseeing Branthwaite's cautious reintegration into matchday squads.

He further commented: "Just using Jarrad as a point in case, making sure his fitness is definitely rather than maybe. Because I thought he was may be fit enough the last time he went in, and he come out and got injured.

"So on that occasion, because I was the one saying I don't think he's right to play, let's leave it another week, but everyone felt no we should.

"And that was our decision not his because he wants to play, of course he does, and so do other players.

"But sometimes you have to make the hardest decision and that one is to not play someone. And that is the harder decision when everyone is telling you you should do something, the hardest one is when you do nothing. Trust me that is the hardest thing in football management."